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Krum Z Sotirov on Realism 1 May 2009
Le Réalisme
Maiano Fortuny y Marsal
The artist’s children in a Japanese Drawing-Room, 1874. Oil on canvas. 17 ¼ x 36 ½ in.
Museo del Prado, Cason del Buen Retiro, Madrid.
In 1855 Courbet puts on his own exhibition in Paris under the title of “Le Réalisme”.
How convenient that there is concise definition for everything! What, then, was the defining feature of Realism painting? What characterized the Realism group exhibitions that united Courbet, Sargeant, Seurat, with van Rjin, Hopper? What makes a Realism painter “Impressionist” besides the act that he hung the word “Impressionist” on the door of his exhibition? The desire and the skill to depict the world the way it is? First of all: What is “real”?
The Oxford English dictionary defines “real” as: “existing as a thing or occurring as a fact, genuine, natural”. This definition does not help much with defining Realism. (“representing or viewing the things as they are in reality” Oxford English dictionary). After all isn’t it that all artists strive to portray the things as they see them in their own reality or to the best of their artistic ability.
To make it easier it is the best to use the time period and the fact that the realist paintings are true to the eye of the mass viewer.
“Realism
is an approach to art in which subjects are depicted in as straightforward a
manner as possible, without idealizing them and without following rules of
formal artistic theory.
The earliest Realist work began to appear in the 18th century, in a reaction to
the excesses of Romanticism (states
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/realism.html) But the great Realist era
was the middle of the 19th century, as artists became disillusioned with the
artifice of the Salons and the influence of the Academies. Besides
Copley, American Realists included the painters Thomas Eakins, and Henry Ossawa
Tanner, both of whom studied in France.
French Realism was a guiding influence on the philosophy of the Impressionists.
“
Gustave Courbet is considered to be the father of the movement, other artists considered to be Realists are Sargeant, Seurat, Jean-Francois Millet, Hopper. One may also argue that artists much earlier than mid 18 century are also realists since they represent their subjects in such an accuracy, some time bordering tromp loeil. Artists like van Rijn (known as Rembrandt) Johannes Vermeer, Carel Fabritieus, Pöeter de Hoooch, Willem Claeszoon Heda , Claetz, were famous for their photograph-like-accurate depiction of nature. One may argue that they fall under Romanticism in the level of idealization portraying people (and as a time period – 17th century), yet there is nothing idealized in their still lives and like the Impressionists they did too studied the effects of light and the abstraction of the form to create a mood rather than image in tier paintings.
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Claesz Still life |
Hooch, Company drinking wine
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To clarify the position what determines the Realism as such there are few points. First point being the desire to create “real” images not only as appearance of the eye, but also as a subject that is ordinary and less idealized (“less” because subconsciously any artist idealizes his subjects at some level or another - seeing beauty in ugliness or in ordinary, seeing intention in random layouts and etc. is idealization itself). However, I found parallel between the subjects and objects in the Realist art with those of an earlier era of the Great Dutch painters.
Second point is the subject. And again I find that there is a revival of the old Dutch school finding beauty in the ordinary life scenes.
So, it must have been the time period that makes the Realism different. Unfortunately, even that is not descriptive enough since at the same time the movement of Impressionism started to appear. In fact in many books about Impressionists many artists are stated to be such even if in different sources they are Realists. Perfect example would be Courbet himself who is stated to be the father of Realism. He frequently can be found in texts as Impressionist.
Furthermore, today there are many artists who consider themselves to be “neo Realist”.
The conclusion is that an artist is a Realist is he or she considers himself/herself to be such.
Art is communication between the artist and the audience. Any artist cares about (in one way or another) what the audience thinks. Approval or disapproval drives the new creations.
Art education makes the observers more critical and demand for quality more sensible, thus driving the artists to respond with higher quality in their art.
Reference
1. Isabel Kuhl: Impressionism A Celebration of Light, Parragon Books Ltd, 2008 New York
2. Oxford English dictionary, Oxford University Press Inc. 1995 New York
3. http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/realism.html
4. The Majesty of Spain The Mississippi Commission for International Cultural Exchange Inc. 2001
